Sentient
by MaryLikesRoses
Summary: After Jericho deployed the "Dirty Bomb" in Detroit, it remained uninhabitable for a year thanks to technology reducing the radiation. Now, the goal of the humans is to reclaim Detroit as their own. Connor, a fresh deviant, has had a difficult time trying to come off as a human in case he encounters the militia. When he meets Roslyn, an android that is experienced in seeming human
1. Prologue

_**2039 -**_ The year after the infamous Detroit bombing, deployed by deviant Cyberlife androids. As radiation spread, many evacuated in a fifty-mile radius.

Hundreds died rapidly at ground zero, while more became sick from being near the radiation. Easily, humans took the notion as an attack on humanity itself.

Detroit used to be a town where obedient androids worked with humans, where jobs thrived, lives were born, and people died naturally of old age.

After November of 2038, Detroit became infested with deviant androids, some turning to gang culture due to lack of money or resources provided. The bartering system continued to exist, resulting in many androids to move from shelter to shelter. The streets and sketchy alleyways were covered in trash. Wrappers, clothing, or even Android parts.

Jericho remained in existence, Markus as the leader, and continuously fought for Android life and the city itself.

After months of Detroit becoming an Android-only zone, no one allowed in or out due to radiation, technology advanced rapidly which allowed the toxicity levels to drop down to mere fractions compared to what it was before.

Upon hearing about the lowered radiation, poor humans risked their lives and breached Detroit in search of homes or scraps. It quickly became common to notice scavengers lurking in the streets, which androids looked down upon. Humans were even murdered in the street from sheer hatred, though it didn't matter. Most, if not all of them had no family to return to. The androids saw it as one less human to worry about.

Along with lower radiation levels, police had also breached the Detroit border. Androids never dared to wander near the outskirts of the city in fear of being taken out by the militia. However, it was easy to spot them in their riot gear: shields, batons, shotguns, and cattle prods to short-circuit their systems temporarily.

However, outside of Detroit was where a _real_ war was transpiring.

The country slowly descended into a civil war, with half of the population in support of the androids, whilst the other half wanted them dead. It was incredibly rare to discover someone who was on-the-fence.

Protests were a daily occurrence across the country, which would result in either success, riots, or a pure massacre.

The biggest debate in the country was based off of Detroit, whether it should remain Android-only, or not.

Half were in support, claiming that androids would know peace and would have the opportunity to build on their own terms. Some people supported the idea just to separate them from the population completely so they wouldn't become an issue.

The other half were against, wishing death upon the androids. Many patriotic Americans demanded to have their land back since it was fought for back then, much like it was currently.

Tensions were high, as the country was falling apart.

The key to a solution was _Detroit_.


	2. Chapter 1: Pain

Trash cluttered the streets of Detroit. The wind picked up and threw plastic items down the street. Aside from the scraps of garbage sliding on the tar of the road, Detroit remained silent.

The one difference between humans living in the city compared to androids was a severe lack of background noise. Without the whirring of cars passing by, people shouting, or distant jackhammering from construction, Detroit felt almost apocalyptic.

Due to the lack of ambiance, it was easy for Connor to tell if someone was nearing him, especially if it was the militia entering the city. The police didn't seem to try and be discreet, as they shouted and fired their guns at any android in their site.

Thankfully, Connor knew that he was a good distance from the border. The only worry on his mind was finding shelter for the night as the sun melted into the earth. The skies were bleeding a bright yellow, but it was only a matter of time until it became pink, orange, red, purple, then black.

As he walked down the sidewalk, he heard roughhousing further down the street. He brushed it off, assuming it was some raccoon in the trash or a scavenger.

"LET ME GO!"

Connor blinked a few times, his LED twirling, transitioning from blue to orange.

 _That was a woman._

He paced over to where the commotion was coming from. It was a dingy dark alleyway filled with nothing but trash cans and flattened or propped open cardboard boxes. The alley was located between two brick buildings, which added to the griminess of it. There was a lack of light, which made it susceptible for crime to unravel in the darkness.

Simply by observing, shortly, he could tell it was three androids. All of them had their LED lights red, blaring in the shade. It wasn't uncommon for there to be gang members or scavengers scuffling with each other, but this seemed different to Connor. He could see by the woman's struggle that she wasn't a part of any gang, or that she meant trouble at all. She seemed to be an innocent passerby on the wrong side of the city.

Connor felt it in him to intervene. He scanned the probability of him coming out unscathed, which was a decent 85%, whereas the woman's chance of surviving was 45%.

Without much thought, he ran across the street.

The woman fought with two other androids, demanding money. She was pinned, the lead androids arm pressed against her sternum, pressing her into the rough brick wall. Her clothes tacked onto the edges and grooves of each brick, slightly tearing away at the cotton.

"Check her pockets!" The lead android told the other, who quickly did as told. The second Android knelt down and began to try digging in her pockets, shimmying his fingers in between the fabric.

She writhed under his grip, making it difficult for the other to reach her wallet. "STOP! YOU WON'T FIND ANYTH-"

 _SLAM!_

The Android threw her head back into the brick wall, causing her vision to blur temporarily. Her occipital lobe was throbbing under the impact, giving her a slight headache. Her LED flashed red, as she became more and more stressed under the situation. Her own stress levels were at a whopping 80%, raising and lowering between 75 and 85 percent.

"Shut up and stop moving!" He shouted, hot breath slamming into her face resulting her to snap her head to the side in disgust. Her breathing was heavy and sharp as she closed her eyes, expecting him to do his worst.

Connor reeled his fist back, using all of his strength to punch him off of her, throwing the android off completely. His stress levels were high, which resulted in him lacking awareness of his surroundings.

The girl didn't hesitate. She swiftly kicked the second Android in the chin, knocking him backward. Without taking his chance of vulnerability granted, she stomped on him until he rolled away from her foot and jumped back on his feet.

Connor was winning the fight, slamming the androids face into the brick wall, his nose and forehead slowly cracking at each impact. This went on until the second Android threw the woman into Connor, knocking them both over onto the dirty cement flooring.

"Come on! It's not worth it!" The second Android hissed at the first one, grabbing his hand to run with.

The woman sat up halfway, ready to fight them once again until she realized they had fled. "Damn it!" The woman scolded herself as the two escaped, hand in hand.

Connor promptly stood up and glared at the criminals who eventually turned the corner. Knowing that the area was safe and that hostility was avoided, he turned to her, offering his hand.

"Are you alright?" He questioned in his usual firm voice.

She glanced at him up and down, observing her savior before taking his hand, letting him lift her off the ground. She really wasn't alright. Her head and her abdomen hurt like crazy from being attacked, and so did her cheek from a slap that happened a little before Connor had noticed.

"I'm fine," she assured with a tired sigh, brushing off the dirt that affixed to her clothing after the scuffle. "Thank you. I should really go."

Before Connor got a chance to speak, she turned on her heel and hurried off down the cramped alleyway.

He could only watch her walk away before looking at the ground, turning back towards the desolate street. As he returned to the familiar sidewalk, searching for shelter, he couldn't help but reflect on how he got in this position.

Jericho promised so much for androids, and still did. Connor felt relieved to have broken out of his code and to have joined the deviants, knowing that he was nothing to Amanda other than a soldier fulfilling his mission. The group opened his eyes, making him realize that he was seen as a machine that would eventually be replaced. Jericho felt like a home, the only home he's ever had. Nothing was ordered of him, unlike when Amanda would take him to his mind-palace and scold him. It was home until they detonated the bomb.

Despite many androids anti-human beliefs, Connor didn't feel the same. For once, he had his own free mind; believing that hating humans would make androids no better. First hand he saw all of the humans around him run, collapse, and perish. It was an injustice, in his opinion, to generalize an entire population for their beliefs and execute them, including their children. It made android seem no better than the humans, which will indefinitely damage their reputation.

As he pondered, he made quite some distance from the city, and the skies were melting into red and purple. As he scanned for some sort of neighborhood, he noticed a dead Android on the curb. Thirium was stale on their body and engrained into the ground as the sun's rays cooked it into the cement and tar. Connor felt indifferent. Seeing many murders in his current model made him able to stomach it.

He passed by it, more cautious. Something had to of killed that Android, whether it was another android or a human. Either way, it could be a threat.

Connor grew desperate when the skies turned black, quickly retreating into a house. It was falling apart at the front, the windows boarded up and the grass deceased and brown. White paint was chipped off the paneling holding the home together. The windows were dusty, the lights inside were off. Many of the houses seemed to be in this state after some riots from the androids during the revolution.

He approached the door and tried turning the knob, only to find it locked. It wasn't surprising to him since many humans locked their homes, hoping to return to them one day. That hope became a dream, as it would most likely never happen.

Walking across the porch, he saw a window slightly cracked open. He placed his fingers under the window pane and used his force to push it upwards. It creaked loudly, but he'd be safe once he got inside.

Throwing his leg over the wall, he ducked under the firm wooden frame and entered. Once he firmly planted his footing, he closed the window behind him, which slammed against the edge of the wall.

Looking around, he could only barely make out the walls and the floors due to the complete darkness on the room, the only source of light being a street lamp just outside. The floors were wooden, which creaked under each step he made. He tried to make his way around the home, hugging the walls, searching for any light source.

Once he stepped through the threshold of the door entering the living room, a pair of hands grabbed him by the shoulders, turning him towards them. A fist was slammed into his cheek, resulting in him letting out a grunt. Not wasting much time, he found the body with his own hands and slapped them in the face, hoping to temporarily disable them. It wasn't much since they persisted, blindly swinging at his chest. He could see their LED light flashing red. It was an Android, which meant they were a harder challenge. Connor had no choice but to latch his hands around their throat, using most of his strength in trying to at least knock them out.

Connor slammed them against the wall beside another window, resulting in their body creating a split in the wall. His eyes widened and his eyebrows drew together to see the moonlight shine upon their face.

It was the girl from the alleyway, grasping at his hands and trying to regain air.

Quickly he let go, stepping backward in alarm. She collapsed onto the floor, gently touching her throat as she let out a rattling gasp. It was a horrendous and painful sound that came from her mouth each time she inhaled.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't know-"

She weakly held her hand up to him, a signal for him to wait as she regained her breath and strength. After a few seconds, she pointed away from her. For a moment, Connor thought she wanted him to leave. Instead, he found that she pointed at the built-in brick fireplace across the room.

"Light..." she dryly croaked.

Without questioning, Connor rushed over and found the matches already on the fireplace mantle. He dragged it along the rough edge of the match pack which created a spark and a flame, igniting his small bubble.

Quickly, he held it up to the wood inside the firebox, which took longer than anticipated to light up. It gave the woman a chance to regenerate.

Once the small flame on the end of a stick turned into a fire, Connor turned back to the woman who was still resting on the ground where he had left her, weakly breathing.

He felt... bad.

He walked over to her and placed her arm around his shoulder, lifting her up. Finally having a chance to observe at the room, he found that there was a couch in front of the fireplace. On the walls were various pictures of the old family that inhabited the home, some even being on small tables put against the wall. After sitting her down, letting go once her back hit the dusty cushion, she slowly brought her head back.

She was alright now, but the ordeal wore her out. Connor waited for her to give him some sort of response, but he could only observe her. He saw the redness around her neck, where his finger marks were pressed into her skin.

"I'm sorry," she breathed.

Connor was confused, almost dumbfounded.

"You have no need to be. I was the one that damaged your throat."

Her head lolled back forward as she stared at him, making eye contact. His brown eyes widened at her tired hazel ones. He observed the redness around her iris, how her mascara was smeared on her eyelids, but mostly under her lower lashline. It added to her weary gaze.

"But I attacked you first. I could've killed you if I were stronger."

"And I could have killed you, as already proven," Connor rebutted.

"Yeah, but you saved me, twice technically if you count not choking me to death," she laughed a little. "So what's the name of my savior?"

"Connor."

"Roslyn."

She doubled over slightly, holding her abdomen. Air expelled from her mouth, as if she was secreting pain, despite what she had told Connor. He frowned, seeing her struggle.

"I am going to ask again and be honest. Are you alright?" He asked. "Don't make me scan you."

"Okay!" She replied a little too defensively. "Fine. My throat hurts from you. My cheek is still a little sore from the attack and my abdomen hurts from them punching me there."

Connor narrowed his eyes at her, now suspicious. "Why don't you want me to scan you?"

She curled her fist and rested her forehead on it, closing her eyes in pain. "I have... secrets. Ones that are on my record. I'd rather you didn't see them. Please. That's all I ask."

Connor exhaled, feeling as though he owed her for attacking her. She seemed desperate.

"Okay. I won't."

"Promise?" She looked over and stared at him, searching for assurance in his eyes.

"I promise."

As she was doubled over, Connor became even more curious as it was in his program to ask as many questions as possible. Despite breaking his code, he couldn't escape the need to retain as much information as possible.

"How come you're in pain? Androids don't feel pain," he questioned, noting how she was clutching her abdomen.

"They do," she corrected. "Why do you think those androids fled earlier? We kicked their asses, but if they didn't feel pain then they wouldn't have fled."

There was silence in the air as Connor thought to himself. _Pain_ seemed like such a human trait, which would be useful in case he came across the police. He could pretend to be human, and he was beaten, he'd reveal a weakness that androids weren't supposed to have. A weakness exclusive to humans, which would result in him gaining their trust.

"How do you feel pain?"

She looked up at him with a smile. "You want to feel pain?"

"I don't think that anybody would wish to feel pain..." he prefaced. "Just wondering."

Roslyn shifted slightly and placed her elbow on the back of the couch, staring at Connor. "Well, you just... reprogram yourself. Touch your LED and just do it."

Connor hesitantly brought his hand up to his LED and closed his eyes. Roslyn watched with interest, smiling a little.

Once his eyes opened, they found hers.

"Slap me."

Her face divulged from a smirk to bewilderment. "I'm not-"

"It's alright," he quickly replied, not wanting her to feel pressured. Roslyn relaxed, relieved she didn't have to slap him.

Instead, without warning, he slapped himself... _hard_.

She jumped, eyes wide.

Connor grunted upon being hit, his head turned to the side as he painfully closed his eyes.

"Are you okay?" She asked, still shocked.

"I'm alright, Roslyn," Connor replied, sore. "That's not a... great feeling."

"Yeah. We only do it to feel human," she laughed a little as she watched Connor raise his fingers to his LED, turning off the feature. "It's not for every android."

Roslyn laid back onto the arm of the couch and sighed, closing her eyes.

"Well, I should go," he began to stand.

Quickly, Roslyn took his arm tightly, looking up at him. He looked down at her, confused, only to be met with a desperate gaze. Her eyes bounced from both of his eyes, searching for some sort of sympathy.

"Stay the night. Please."

Connors' eyes went from confused to kind. He slowly sat back down.

"I just feel safer with you here. It's only for tonight, I swear," she gazed upon him, slowly letting go of his arm.

Connor couldn't blame her for feeling that way, especially with how easy it was for him to break and enter, along with how those other androids manhandled her despite her resilience towards them.

"I understand," he assured. "I'll leave tomorrow then."

Roslyn just slowly nodded, sinking into the corner of the couch. She exhaled, thankful for the oxygen in the air, even if it was filled with dust and dirt.

Connor remained seated on the couch, sitting upright with his hands in his lap. Roslyn watched as he stared at the flames, some sparks emitting from the wood.

"You have the be the most "Android" Android I have ever met," she lightheartedly joked.

Connor quickly looked over at her. "It's one of my faults." He turned more towards her with his body, resting his arm on the back of the couch. "I became deviant a year ago and every other Android but myself seems more human. I just can't understand how."

Roslyn took note, but couldn't help since they'd be apart the next day.

"It takes time. Probably not a whole year, but it takes time," she said. "But look. I'm really tired and the bed in the other room is infested with bedbugs. Do you sleep?"

"No, I do not," Connor replied. "I never had a reason to."

"Damn. What do you do when the humans sleep?"

"Well, I enjoy reading. I also enjoy exploring, but it's unlikely I will do that tonight."

Roslyn hummed in thought, her LED turning orange. She went to stand up, letting out a small noise of pain. Connor was quick to take her shoulder, an attempt to help her up.

"I'm alright," she assured, patting his hand on her. "It'll all be regenerated by tomorrow."

Connor hesitantly let go and let her vanish into another room. He could only sit as he heard slight shuffles and objects crash into each other.

She returned with three books, all of them thick and generous with pages.

"I know you probably meant you like to read on a tablet but this was the best I could find," she offered him, extending them to him as they were awfully heavy.

Connor took them off of her hands, turning them on their sides to observe the spines of the books.

"Poetry," he said out loud, before looking at Roslyn in confusion.

"You want to understand human emotion? Read those. Even though they're thick, poetry can be a short read unless you take the time to ponder them," she suggested. "If you finish early maybe just go into a sleep mode and I'll wake you."

"Ok," he looked down at the books again. "I will read these."

Roslyn made her way back to the couch, curled up in a ball, and went into a dream state.

Connor touched the firm cover of the book before turning it. He had never felt a physical book before, which was a new experience. Quickly, he picked up on how to use it. He found it useless since the pages were flimsy, some even torn out.

Despite the difficulty of reading a book, he was curious.

 _How do humans feel?_


	3. Chapter 2: Jealousy

Light seeped in through the windows, illuminating every unsettled particle of dust in the air.

Roslyn's eyes slowly opened to find her leg across Connor's lap as he was in the middle of the third poetry book. Her other leg dangled off the sofa, lazily hanging. His eyes narrowed at the page while his lips moved slightly, reciting the verse to himself as he tried to understand.

She pulled her leg back, embarrassed that she had completely sprawled out in his space.

Connor noticed and looked over.

"Good morning," he greeted her.

Roslyn looked to her UI to see the time, which was nine in the morning. She had fallen asleep at about ten at night.

She rubbed her eyes. "Morning." Her voice was slightly strained and hoarse from being choked yesterday. "How's reading?"

"A challenge." He looked back at the book. "I've found it... beneficial—taking my time."

"That's good." She sat up. "I guess I'm going to head out since we have the whole day ahead of us. Thank you so much for saving me and staying the night. That was very human of you," she smiled.

Connor tried to smile back, but it came off as a little unsettling. Thankfully, Roslyn found it amusing.

She stood up from the couch, more dust expelling into the air, and made her way towards the door.

"Goodbye, Roslyn," Connor hollered over to her.

Apart of him didn't want her to leave, as she had taught him so much in a matter of hours. Though, he knew she had places to be and shouldn't interfere.

Once she left the house, closing the door behind her, she heard shouts from down the road. She narrowed her eyes, which zoomed all the way down the street to find riot officers marching, barging into homes in search of androids.

 _They were approaching fast_.

Roslyn ran back inside, nearly tripping over herself. Connor's head snapped towards her, hearing the panic in her step.

"Militia are coming!" Roslyn whisper-shouted, frantic. Connor could've read it from her face even without any scanning.

"What?! But they've only been on the outskirts!" He spoke at a hushed volume.

She quickly took his arm, leading him toward the backyard. "Not anymore. We have to go!" As she roughly tugged at him, Connor dropped the book he was holding onto the floor which hit the floor with a thud.

The only protection around everyone's backyard was either a chained or a simple white picket fence. They couldn't go out into the street or else they'd be shot on sight, as the police had no mercy. It was a long and slow route to hop fences, but it was the safest way.

Connor knelt down and intertwined his fingers. "Come on! I'll boost you!"

"What about you?" She replied, concerned.

"I'm taller than you and can reach the top of the fence. Hurry!" He gestured down to his hands.

She did as told, stepping on his hands, to which he pushed her up. She was able to get halfway over the fence and had to get over to the other side herself.

As for Connor, he was able to climb over on his own, as promised.

The two had to climb over and over until they reached the end of the road. Roslyn was exhausted but had to keep up with Connor. He was designed to be more fit after all.

They ran as far as they could, going deeper and deeper into Detroit until they felt safe. They passed all of the neighborhoods until they found work buildings.

More towards the heart of Detroit, they were left in the streets yet again. Roslyn doubled over, hands on knees, as she tried to regain her breath. Connor, on the other hand, wasn't _as_ worn out. Though his breathing was labored, which only lasted for a mere few seconds.

"Your model wasn't made that well, was it?" Connor questioned, as he stared at the exhausted woman.

She could only glare at him, before standing up straight. Before, her skin used to be smooth with no imperfections. Connor admired how she had a slight twinge in her cheeks, much like a human. He wondered why his creators didn't give him more human characteristics such as that.

Despite her previous skin, now her face was as red as a tomato. She sweat only slightly, which also made Connor curious.

"You have so many human attributes. How come I've never seen a model like you?" He asked.

"Cyberlife created me right before everything happened, an attempt to have a model more human. I don't like talking about it though, so I'd appreciate it if we didn't," she said, still slightly out of breath.

Connor gave a nod. "Affirmative."

"Just say "okay" since it sounds more human."

Connor blinked a few times at her before saying: "Ok."

Roslyn looked around, trying to figure out where to go and what to do.

"Do you... uh... have anything else in your plans?" She asked Connor, a little sheepishly.

"No. Why?"

She shrugged, before placing her hands on her hips. "I dunno. It's just that I feel like we could help each other. You're taller and..." she gritted out, "stronger... and I am." Straightening her posture, she smiled at him. "And you seem to lack human mannerisms, which I have plenty of."

"Your point exactly?" He raised a brow, trying to understand her offer.

She took in a deep breath. "My point is... maybe we can stick together for now? You can help me out of sticky situations and I'll teach you how to come off as human. If you don't learn how to be human, once you meet those officers they'll shoot you on sight."

Connor thought for a moment and found the compromise beneficial and productive.

"Ok," he agreed. "Deal. What do we do now?"

"Well, shouldn't we find Jericho? They're going to put a stop to this, right?"

Connor turned away slightly, the name Jericho triggering him. He flashed back to meeting Markus, the bomb going off, and all of the humans screaming and fleeing from ground zero.

"I'm afraid I cannot help you with that," he told her coldly.

She could tell that it was personal to him. _Too_ personal.

"Were you apart of Jericho?" She accused him, more-so in an intrigued manner.

"Temporarily, and I don't intend to go back! Much like you, I'd rather we didn't talk about it!" He raised his voice in defense, his fists clenched at the sheer thought of the organization.

She raised her hands up. "Okay! I'm sorry."

The air fell silent, the two of them standing in the middle of the deserted street.

"C'mon. Let's find somewhere to stay. Hm?" Roslyn offered, an attempt to release the tension. Connor visibly relaxed, letting out a short sigh. He quietly nodded, following her lead.

They merged over to the sidewalk and kept walking, waiting for some building to show promise. Neither of them knew what they were looking for, but neither of them knew before either.

Basically, every android in Detroit wandered aimlessly, besides those at Jericho who had a mission to fulfill.

Roslyn wanted to go to Jericho so badly, as they had promised a plan for all androids in Detroit. She wanted to confront them head-on, and demand to know what their plans were for android life since it seemed that nothing was being done. With the militia closing in, she was losing hope.

 _Crash!_

Both of them heard cheers from down the street. They looked at each other, knowing that they wanted to check it out.

They speed walked over to a worn down bar. As they stood in the door frame, they saw that it was full of scavengers and few androids. Two men were fighting, throwing beer bottles at each other. Hoots and hollers filled the air, the atmosphere feel tense and hostile. One chucked a bottle at the other, completely missing and flying past Roslyn and shattering into the street.

Connor protectively took her shoulder and put her behind him. She would've protested since it wasn't her nature to be the damsel in distress, but she didn't want glass in her face. They both slowly moved inside and away from the door.

One android separated the two, grabbing them by the collars and throwing them outside.

"Settle this outside where you belong!" He shouted, before slamming the door shut.

Everyone in the bar cheered, holding up their beers before taking a swig. They all resumed their banter and laughter, clinking glasses and chugging their beverages. The android that threw out the scavengers returned to his position behind the bar counter.

"It's a little early for a drink. Isn't it?" Connor questioned her.

"It's five somewhere," Roslyn teased. "But you're right. I just want to ask about where we can find shelter."

Connor nodded and wandered off to an old arcade system that had caught his eye. Roslyn got to the barstool and sat down. The bartender, a kind-faced android with orange hair, a round nose, chubby cheeks, and a slim figure, came over to her. He just smiled.

"Sorry. It doesn't normally get that crazy. But since the militia moved in this morning everyone's going mad," he tried to explain himself.

She leaned on the table with chin-in-hand. "I know! That was wild this morning," Roslyn gasped. "Y'know, I hear all of this talk from Jericho about how they're going to resolve this but I've seen no action."

"Yeah! Right? I know a buddy that belongs there and he says that they don't know what they're doing," the android scoffed and shook his head.

"Really? I wanted to go to Jericho myself and see what's being done and how I can help. Do you happen to know where it is?"

The bartender hesitated, glancing around before leaning close to her. "Y'know, I'm really not able to disclose that information..."

She put her two fingers to her LED and stared straight at him. He did the same. Roslyn paid good money for that information, determined to find them.

"Transaction complete," he said. "I don't know where they are. But I can give you the location of my friend. Tell them Lenny from the bar sent you."

He transferred the information of their whereabouts to her, which she received.

"Thank you _so_ much," she smiled, laughing a little since flirting was getting her very far in the conversation. "Say, is there a place to stay the night anywhere around here?"

He touched his LED one last time, transferring some locations along with his number.

"There you go, sweet," he winked at her.

Connor glanced over at the wrong time, seeing the interaction. Something in him made him feel upset, even angry. Maybe even... _jealous_.

Without much analyzing, he quickly stepped over and took Roslyn's shoulder, staring at the bartender.

"Thank you for your assistance. I'm afraid we have to go now," Connor said in a passive-aggressive tone.

Roslyn just shrugged at the bartender, almost apologetically. Connor practically dragged her out of the bar by the arm onto the sidewalk.

"Hey! What was that about? I just got some information for places to stay!" She complained, shrugging him off of her.

"I don't know. I just..." he shook his head a little as his LED flashed orange and red.

 **SOFTWARE INSTABILITY^**

"Please. Can we just seek shelter?" Connor pleaded.

"Now hold on a moment," Roslyn grinned, standing in front of Connor. "I think we're onto something. Could it be... human emotion?"

Connor looked at her, confused.

"Come on. His wink made you jealous, didn't it?" She nudged him slightly.

"Please. Don't push it," Connor gritted, his eyes narrowed at her.

The reason why Connor was so defensive was for one, he was embarrassed. And two, he couldn't understand it himself. The last person he wanted to decipher his human emotions with was Roslyn, more specifically the ones towards liking her.

 _Did he like her?_

"Alright, fine," Roslyn sighed in defeat. "C'mon. I know a nice hotel that we could stay at." She patted his shoulder.

They both walked in silence, much like before. She couldn't help but keep glancing at him, which Connor noticed. It got to the point where it bugged him.

"Something's bothering you," Connor announced.

Roslyn nodded, admittedly. "Yeah. I'm supposed to help you come off as human but I'm trying to figure out how. Obviously, you don't want to talk about jealousy. Uh... maybe happiness? Has anything made you feel happy?"

Connor pondered. "Dogs. There's one dog in particular, but he's no longer in Detroit."

Roslyn narrowed her eyes at him. "How does that make you feel?"

"Indifferent, as my emotion is usually."

"The fact that you'll never ever see that dog again... doesn't make you sad?" She pushed him a little farther. "What if he's dead? Right now? The radiation got to him and-"

"Stop," Connor demanded. "Sumo is okay. I know because Hank is a good owner."

Roslyn's eyes widened slightly before she moved on from the topic quickly.

"Okay. Let's go back to happiness. How about we went somewhere that had a lot of dogs?"

"There are none. They were all evacuated," Connor explained. "However, as I was reading the poetry I kept seeing people be happy from love. Yet, they were also hurt by love."

Connor turned to Roslyn, who was already staring at him.

"Can you explain love?"

Roslyn could only smile and let out a soft laugh. "Love is very complex. It's a mix of the basic emotions, which are happiness, sadness, and anger. You can't force yourself to feel love. It just happens."

"How do you know you're in love, then?"

Roslyn looked back at him. "Oh, you'll know."

The two looked forward, Connor processed what she had said and what the poems said. They turned a corner down a street, as they were nearing the hotel. Roslyn admired the graffiti, finding it to be a good talking point.

"Many people like to express their feelings through art, hence the street art and graffiti," Roslyn mentioned, observing the splashes of color on the worn out brick.

"That's vandalism, and is a criminal offense," Connor stated, also looking at the same graffiti.

"Maybe. But I guess that makes it more interesting. People putting their freedom on the line for the sake of expression," she thought to herself a little while speaking out loud.

Connor began to understand the art, which deviated away from his law-oriented point of view.

Roslyn halted in front of the hotel, which turned out to be an outdoor motel. The building was in a U shape, with there being only two stories. She and Connor entered the lobby, which was a small boxed room with windows on the front and a door to a small room in the back.

She dinged the bell. It was an old item, but it added to the unique aesthetic of the worn down motel. It reminded her of the motels back in the 50's, which humans seemed to still be fond of.

An Android appeared from the back room, disheveled and worn due to his wild hair and dreary lidded eyes.

"Oh! You're both androids," he said, almost relieved. "Androids can stay here for one free night, on the house. Humans can't, however."

"I see," Connor nodded. "May we have a room key, please?"

The android rummaged through the desk and found the room card, handing it to him. After digging once more, he found another for Roslyn. Both of them left with their room cards in hand, bidding him a farewell.

"It's interesting how much androids hate humans," Connor told Roslyn as they climbed the steps to the second floor. "I feel as though all of this hate will result in no solution."

"Do you hate humans, Connor?" Roslyn questioned. "Or even have a dislike for them?"

They reached their room door, and Connor turned, looking down at her.

"No. Do you?" He asked, curious.

Roslyn smiled and shook her head, before waving the key in front of the doorknob which let out a small bing.

As they opened the door, they found that there was only one bed in the dingy motel room along with a twenty-inch flat screen tv, a dresser, a mini-fridge next to a table, and a bathroom in the other room. Upon seeing only one bed, Roslyn turned back to Connor in concern.

"Oh... I can go back down and-"

"It's alright," Connor assured Roslyn. "I don't sleep, remember?"

"You should though. Have you ever had a dream?" Roslyn raised her brow, smiling at him a little, amusement spread across her face.

Connor shook his head, and Roslyn gasped.

"They're so interesting! I feel like it will expand your mind! You'll like them," she marveled.

"I will try it tonight, then," Connor nodded.

Roslyn's eyes moved around the room until she found the bedside clock, noticing it was lunchtime. Her eyes scanned the room to find the mini fridge, full of various foods.

"Connor?" She grinned, turning to him. "We have another human lesson to learn."


	4. Chapter 3: Fear

Roslyn cautiously unwrapped the peanut butter and jelly sandwich in front of Connor, the plastic peeling off of the fresh moist white bread. In front of her was a large BLT sub with mayonnaise oozing out of the edges due to her squeezing some packets onto it.

"I don't understand," Connor blinked at her. "I can perform perfectly fine without any food source. In fact, I feel as though it wastes time."

"Yeah, but it's what humans do," Roslyn shrugged. "You have to act human down to a T. If the police walked in here right now, the first thing they're looking for is what's in our trash can. What if we've been here for days without leaving, and there's no trash from food? They're going to think something is suspicious."

Connor looked down at his sandwich blankly. "I perhaps..."

She smiled a little, air coming out of her nose like a quiet laugh. "At least we were built with taste buds so the experience isn't unpleasant," Roslyn tried to make light of the situation. "We should also drink water or some sort of beverage, and then use the bathroom so there's less toilet paper."

Casually, Connor picked up the sandwich and brought it to his mouth. Roslyn didn't think that it was possible to eat "too" Android, but Connor proved her wrong, as his chewing was too harsh and his grip too stiff.

"Jesus," Roslyn sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose, before looking back at Connor. "Okay. First of all, eat slower."

"But that wastes more time, Roslyn," Connor said, almost like a complaint.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Well we don't have anything better to do," she retorted.

Connor sighed and ate slower, but still chewed harshly.

"Don't chew as hard. It makes it seem like your angry," Roslyn coached him. Connor did as told, and it looked much more natural. "I think as you practice, you'll get better at it," she gently assured him. He still seemed _too_ Android, but he was at least better than before.

The two of them ate like any normal human would at lunchtime. As they ate, Roslyn was thinking, figuring out where the Jericho agent the bartender referred her to was. Through her own vision, she located the address, which was at an abandoned library.

She looked at Connor before grinning. He quickly noticed.

"What is it?" He asked, bringing his hand to his mouth. "Is there food on my face?"

"No, no," she shook her head. "I just have plans for us tomorrow."

Connor just blinked a few times before returning to his last few bites.

Roslyn frowned. "Aren't you at least curious?"

Connor chewed his food and digested it. "I assumed you wanted it to remain secret, or else you would have told me directly what the plan was."

Roslyn rolled her eyes. "You're allowed to be curious," she scoffed. "We're going to an old library so you can read more poetry."

Connors' eyes widened a little bit, which Roslyn hoped was a sign of excitement.

"You seem happy about that," Roslyn observed out loud, locking her hands together and resting her chin in the center.

Connor's LED turned orange.

"I guess I am..." he tried to comprehend himself. "Being happy is... enjoyable."

"Can you smile?" she asked, eagerly. "It's normal for humans to smile when they're happy."

Connor flashed a quick awkward smile, which made Roslyn almost spit out her food laughing. Connor immediately stopped smiling, watching as Roslyn doubled over the table. Once she composed herself, she let out a deep breath.

"We're going to have to work on that," she smiled at him, hoping to set an example. Connor tried to smile back again, more subtle this time. Roslyn nodded in approval.

"Better."

After throwing away their trash and using the restroom, they both laid on the bed and watched TV.

"A lot of people develop their personality traits from TV," Roslyn mentioned, glancing between Connor and the television. "Humans pick up some mannerisms that way."

"Interesting," Connor hummed to himself, focused, before turning to her. "How did you learn to be human, Roslyn?"

Roslyn hesitated, before shrugging a little. "It took time, but I just analyzed everyone around me and how they acted. It also has to do with how well you fit into society. If you aren't what they expect, you'll give yourself away."

Connor nodded, his eyes falling a little in thought, before returning to watch the TV. After about ten minutes of watching, he began to become a little restless, shifting in his place slightly. Roslyn noticed as he crossed and uncrossed his arms, shimmied his shoulders, and let out a few puffs of air.

"I'm designed to be patient, but I'm not particularly fond of this show. May I change the channel?"

"Go for it."

Connor placed his index finger on his LED, taking control of the TV. He flicked through channels: sports, drama, cartoons, humor.

Then he finally landed on a reality TV show about one girl on an island, and all of the other men needing to impress her in one form or another. In the end, she'd take one of them home.

"This show is fake as can be," Roslyn commented, about to roll her eyes until she saw how Connor was fixated on the show. Connor didn't mind that it was fake since all of them seemed fake to him. Roslyn took note and decided against bashing on the show. "But you can watch for enjoyment too, I guess."

Hours flew by as Connor jumped back and forth from channel to channel, lingering on the ones about romance and love. Roslyn didn't particularly notice since she was too busy researching Jericho in her own vision. She stared blankly at the ceiling—her eyes a bright blue—while Connor stared blankly at the screen.

Before they knew it, it was already ten at night.

"Oh, damn it!" Roslyn sat up, her blue eyes fading to her hazel shade. "We missed dinner time."

"What are the average times for humans to eat?" Connor questioned, looking over to her in a slight panic.

Roslyn relaxed, knowing it wasn't that big of a deal. She looked over to Connor, seeing him still propped up against the pillows as he looked at her, awaiting an answer.

"Breakfast is normally at eight, or whenever you wake up. Lunch is twelve. Dinner is five to seven, maybe even later," she explained. "It's already ten."

"Well, snack time can be any time, correct?" Connor thought out loud. "I noticed some bags of chips in the drawer of the table beside the small fridge."

Roslyn nodded, smiling a little. "You catch on quicker than I thought."

The two of them picked out a small back of chips for each of them and returned to bed. They watched a sad movie together, eating their chips slowly.

It was _The Notebook_.

Once the end happened, where the old couple was in the hospital bed, Roslyn began to cry.

"That is unpleasant," Connor said out loud before looking over to Roslyn.

"Yeah..." she croaked. "Humans cry to this... every time."

Connor focused on his tear ducts, which released the clear liquid down his cheeks. Mimicking Roslyn, he sniffled, breathing slightly heavier than normal.

"Like this?" He said, his voice slightly sore.

Roslyn teared up even more at the sight of him crying. "Y-yeaH!" Her voice cracked into a sob. She curled up, hugging her knees as she sobbed into them.

"C-can I have a taste of your chips?" Connor sobbed, pointing at her small bag of all-dressing chips.

"Go ahead," Roslyn cried. "Can I have yours?"

"Of course."

They both crossed paths, taking a chip and inserting it into their mouth. As the credits rolled, Connor immediately stopped crying while Roslyn took some extra time to settle down, using the bedside tissues to dab away the tears on her cheeks.

Eventually, the T.V. turned off, and both of them laid down in complete darkness. They were no longer crying, but Roslyn still felt sad as she thought of the ending over and over in her mind.

"You mentioned the aspect of dreaming," Connor brought up, rolling on his side to look at Roslyn. "Can you assist me?"

Roslyn also rolled over and looked at Connor. He noticed her eyes were still glassy from crying earlier, which he was no doubt impressed with. His eyes fell down to her nose and cheeks, still tinted red. He admired how dedicated and skilled she was to being so _human._

"It's when you let your program loose. It distracts you while your core sorts out information you absorbed in the day. You can have many dreams in one night, or you can have absolutely none. Usually though, if you have a solid sleep, you have one," she tried to explain. "I hope that helped."

Connor nodded. "It did. Thank you."

Without wasting time, Connor laid on his back and immediately fell asleep, his eyes closed.

Roslyn softly smiled as she watched him, surprised that he caught onto the fact that he has to breathe, or at least raise his chest and lower it.

She had a little more hope in him.

Not wanting to be too tired in the morning, she rolled over and fell asleep too.

Connor was awake in another form. He was self-aware but felt as though he had less control.

He was on top of the Stratford Tower, except no one was there. Not Hank, nor the officers on the scene. The only person there was the deviant android, Simon.

He got up from the ground, bloody and blue with a bullet wound in his head.

Simon approached Connor, who was unable to move. His eyes were red, his LED light flickering neon colors like a glitched out television. He grabbed Connors arm tightly, his nails cracking through his shell and exposing the wire.

"Feel what they've done to me..." he gritted, his eyes rolling back into his head.

Connor felt death, except it was repetitive like he died again and again and again. It had already happened in real life, where he felt the android die. However, this time was much different.

Uncontrollable.

Connor was unable to pull away like real life, which frightened him to the core. Living a life so calculated and precise allowed him to never feel as vulnerable as he did at that moment.

He felt himself becoming more and more unstable, his stress levels rising.

 **SOFTWARE INSTABILITY^**

"I'M SCARED!" He sat up in a panic, his breathing labored as his eyes tried to search for his surroundings. Instead, he was met with complete darkness, despite the fragment of light coming through the window.

Roslyn woke up immediately, her eyes wide. She held her arms out toward him, trying to feel him out, not able to see him clearly at first due to the room being too dark.

She could make out his face due to the moonlight, much like the night before.

Except for this time, he seemed absolutely terrified. He was shaking, his LED going haywire.

"Connor! Connor, hey!" She quickly took his arm, which he retracted immediately as it reminded him of Simon, digging into his skin. "No, hey," she took his shoulder, before turning his face to her.

They stared at each other, tears erupting from his eyes.

"It was just a bad dream. We're in the motel, see?" She looked around them, showing him. Taking his overheated cheeks, she made strict eye contact. "I'm right here."

"I-..." he trembled, trying to catch his breath. "I couldn't move. It felt like I _died_."

Roslyn felt downhearted since she _did_ tell him to dream. She couldn't help but hug him, which he didn't return. Instead, he became shocked.

 **SOFTWARE INSTABILITY^**

He slowly brought his hand to his cheek, feeling the involuntary tears.

"I'm crying... is this sadness?" Connor questioned, confused. His gaze darted to Roslyn, knowing that she would have an answer for him.

"No. It's fear. You experienced _fear_ ," she told him, still hugging him. She then retracted, which made Connor feel less secure. He knew it was a sign of human affection, but somehow it affected him. It made him feel stable.

"Going back to sleep will make you feel better," she promised. "Every time, after I have a bad dream I have a good one."

That was a lie, but she hoped the placebo effect would work.

Connor trusted her, nonetheless. The two of them laid back down in bed slowly, Connor still shaking in fear.

Roslyn rolled over once again, tired from the scenario.

"... Roslyn?" Connor asked, shyly and softly.

"Hm?" She answered, without rolling over.

Connor hesitated, not wanting to become an inconvenience to her. All his short-lived life, he'd always bit his tongue on how he felt. Though, he knew that she would be displeased with him if he did that, as the goal for him was to be more human. Unable to shake off the feeling like any other human emotion he experienced, he gave in.

"Can you hold me, again? At least until I fall asleep and enter a dream state?"

Roslyn was astounded at the fact that Connor actually desired comfort. She rolled over without much else to say and held him in her arms. Since he was much larger than her, she had her arm wrapped around his waist and her head on his shoulder. Connor placed his arm around the back of her shoulders, an attempt to have her feel the same comfort as he felt.

"You're very warm, it's comforting," Connor said out loud. He could hear her tiredly scoff with a slight smile.

Roslyn tried to stay awake until he fell asleep, but failed. Thankfully Connor eventually did, his breathing rate lowering along with his stress percentage.

Connor was on the border of Detroit, leaning on the black fence holding him back from the waters that guided him to Canada. He stared at the land of Ontario, seeing green on the other side. Suddenly, he felt something touch his hand.

He saw Roslyn, her honey-colored hair whipping around in the wind. She smiled at him, and he smiled back, normally and correctly. They gazed at each other, his brown eyes clashing with her hazel. As they inched closer and closer, once he made it to where her face should've been, Roslyn vanished.

Instead, Ontario was much closer than it was before, and she stood there waving at him.

"Roslyn!" He hollered, cupping his hands around his mouth to seem louder.

She turned away and walked deeper into the foreign land, vanishing into the deep evergreen trees.

"ROSE!"

Connor woke up abruptly, once again, checking his surroundings yet again. He was still pinned to the bed due to Roslyn being completely wrapped around him. Her legs intertwined with his, her arms in the same place along with her head.

He relaxed, as it wasn't _that_ bad of a dream.

The room was brisk, as it was almost mid-November. The sunlight beamed into the room but was thankfully aimed away from the bed.

He found himself staring at her tired face, reflecting slightly on his dream. It made him grateful to have her by his side, which also made him realize that he shouldn't take their time for granted. His eyes trailed from her eyes, fluttering as she slept, to her lips, wondering what they could've felt like against his.

Feeling Connor shift slightly, woke Roslyn up. Her eyes slowly flickered open as she groggily looked up and stared at Connor. Realizing she was completely in his space, she pulled away and rolled on her back.

"Sorry," was all she said, still exhausted.

"That's alright. I find it... pleasurable," Connor replied, wanting her to continue holding him. "It makes me happy."

Roslyn looked over to him, which he responded with a normal smile.

"Wow!" She woke up a little more, shocked. "That was a perfect smile! You're picking up on things!"

His casual smile turned into a full-fledged smile, showing his teeth. He even _laughed_ a little.

Roslyn sat up and hunched over slightly, covering her face with her hands to try and be more attentive.

"So I'm guessing your second dream was better?" She assumed, blinking slowly at the ugly tacky blanket they had slept on.

"Better than the first, but I'm not sure if I would classify it as a _good_ dream," he tried to explain.

She nodded, not wanting to press him on it since the first dream had scared him.

"Let's have some breakfast somewhere, hm?" Roslyn advised, swinging her feet off of the bed.

"I recall seeing a diner not too far away," Connor mentioned. "I should bring to attention that it is cold outside. Wouldn't a human be properly dressed?"

"Yeah," Roslyn nodded. "We should find an abandoned clothing store afterward and see what we can find. If we're lucky enough we can find an Android-run clothing store."

Connor nodded, watching as she got up from the bed and went to the bathroom to fix herself up.

He observed her in sheer curiosity, how she fixed her hair into a bun as she hummed some old tune.

Connor knew that he was feeling another emotion, one that squeezed his chest tightly. Even though he wasn't sure what it was, he enjoyed it.


End file.
